47 - For Rent

*You’re kidding, right? You want to rent that piece of shit? – David*
Darkness climbed the stairs to Camille’s PSL Hell room early on Friday morning. The sun was not even up when he slipped into the room, again laughing at the hideous plaid comforter.
“Did I tell you that they gave the same set to our grandmother?”
“No. Momma Dee?” Camille asked as she packed up her computers.
“Yup,” he chuckled. “Are you sure that you’re okay to ride?”
“I’m very sure,” she smiled at him and handed him her backpack. “I want out of this place.”
Reaching over, he cupped her cheek and tipped her face up for a kiss. “I’ll see you outside.”
“Okay.”
Shifting their bags on his shoulders, he grabbed up Tink’s safety harness. “Come on, Tink.”
The dog stood up from his blanket and stretched before following Darkness out of the room. Going down the stairs, the man ignored his brother in the kitchen as he let the dog out of the house. Tink was doing his business in the yard as Darkness anchored the two backpacks onto the back of his bike.
“Amos,” Jasper said as he approached his younger brother.
“Unless you’re going to apologize, we have nothing else to say.”
“I just worry about-“
“Wrong words,” he said as Camille stepped out of the house and approached her own bike. “Belle, do you have any of your cards?”
“Yeah,” before putting her computer bag in the saddlebag, she pulled a card out of a pocket and handed it over to him.
Darkness glanced at the card for J & L Publicity and Marketing that had her name and contact info on it. He handed it to his brother who reluctantly took it. “You really want to know about my girl, check out her website. And if you want to apologize, you have her number.”
“Amos,” Jasper said on a sigh.
Camille took the safety harness and called Tink over who sat for the harness to be placed on him before hopping up into his spot.
“Don’t expect to see me again until you apologize.” Darkness said as he straddled his bike and pulled his helmet on.
Within minutes, two motorcycles roared to life. Then they were gone.
Wanting to put as much distance between himself and his brother, they stopped as few times as possible. Stopping near the state border, they had breakfast so that Camille could take the medicine that Doc had sent to a pharmacy that was open on Thanksgiving.
Darkness had made Dominique pick it up and pay for it. He thought it was the least she could do since she practically chased Camille out of the house into the cold rain. And then sent her out later to get canned soup and the necessities for grilled cheese.
If he could have thought of another reason to send her out again, he would have. If he never had to see any of Keisha’s family ever again, that would be too soon for him.
Shortly after lunch, they arrived back at the clubhouse and Rosie and Candy met them on the porch.
“Give me your bags and I’ll get the clothes in the wash,” Candy told them. He was always tickled over how she said *worsh* rather than *wash*.
After seeing how the club girls were treated at the Shack, he no longer thought it strange that she was friends with the ones here.
Rosie wrapped an arm around Camille’s shoulders and guided her into the clubhouse. “I promise, Darkness, we’ll take good care of her. Go check in with Gator, he talked to Zydeco last night.”
Of course, she would know that Gator and Zydeco had talked. Danielle had gone with her brother to Texas leaving her husband unsupervised. Mary would give Roscoe a hall pass, but Danielle would simply pretend that she did not know how her husband got hickeys while she was gone.
Gator was in main room watching a college bowl game with the other brothers. He offered Darkness a beer, but he shook his head.
“How’s she doing?”
“Better than me,” Darkness admitted. “I can’t believe that he’s that much of an ass.”
“I can,” Gator smirked as one of the teams scored and the room erupted. “Rosie and Candy will get her taken care of.”
It did not surprise anyone who knew him that Darkness was still upset and went for a ride to clear his mind. The irony of needing a ride after seven hours on the road was not lost on him. The entire time home, he worried about Camille.
But now she was being taken care of by her friends and he was cruising the streets that he had known most of his life. Turning down a random residential street, a house caught his attention. The street was empty, so he did a U-turn and went back.
It was a small cottage with a wide porch on the right side. He pulled into the gravel driveway on the same side and parked his bike. The sign in the yard said it was for rent. He called the number not actually expecting anyone to answer.
The owner lived just down the street and said he would walk down. While Darkness was waiting, he walked around to the back. There was a chain link fence enclosing the back yard and a detached garage at the end of the drive.
The garage looked as run down as the house. But they both looked like they had good bones.
“Hello?” a man called out as he walked up.
“Hi.” Darkness said meeting him halfway. “Can we look inside?”
“Yeah. I’m David.” He offered a hand.
“Amos, but everyone calls me Darkness.” He replied shaking the man’s hand.
He looked like he was about thirty years old with a short military haircut and light brown eyes. The way he carried himself made Darkness think of a cop. He wore faded jeans and a black denim jacket over a gray pocket t-shirt. The boots were similar to the ones that Darkness also wore.
David unlocked the front door for them to enter.
“It’s not all that great. My dad moved here after mom died. I just can’t seem to let it go.”
It was a typical 1940s house with a small living and dining room with a separate kitchen. A small hallway led to a bathroom and two bedrooms. By the backdoor in the kitchen were an old washer and dryer.
“How much?”
“I really don’t know. There’s a lot that needs to be done.”
“How about I do the work instead of rent. When I move out, you have a good rent house.”
“That would work. I don’t know how to do all this.”
David motioned to the broken countertop, peeling linoleum floor and loose cabinet door. Darkness looked around at the house and smiled.
“Then it’s a good thing that I do.” He said offering his hand
David smiled and accepted his hand. “I have to apologize. I did some of this in anger.”
“Nothing that can’t be fixed.” Darkness replied and accepted the keys. “My girl, she has a dog. Certified helper something something. He’s a Doberman.”
“Got a shepherd K9 down at my house. If he’s certified I’m assuming he’s well behaved.”
“Half the time I forget he’s there.” Darkness admitted. “Do I need to sign anything?”
“I’ll have my wife draw up something. She’s a paralegal. Let’s walk through and decide what all needs to be done.”
They spent the next hour going through the house. Each made a list of what needed to be done. After comparing lists, they compiled a single list, and Darkness texted it to David. He then sent a second list of things that he would like to do.
“And you can do all this?”
Darkness chuckled. “My godfather owns a construction company. I grew up doing this.”
“I think I’m going to get the better end of this deal.” David said as a mocha-colored woman about his age walked into the house with a toddler in tow.
“Sorry, someone was looking for you.” She apologized as the little boy stretched his arms out for Darkness.
Automatically, Darkness picked him up and the little boy laid his head on the large shoulder and stuck his thumb in his mouth. The infant that the woman held squealed until David was holding her.
“This is my baby girl, Laura. That is my little man, Damien. And this beautiful woman is Jenna.”
“Nice to meet you, ma’am.” Darkness smiled. “Everyone calls me Darkness.”
“You’ll have to forgive Damien. You look like my brother.” She said trying to take her son back. He swatted her hand and gave her a definitive no.
“He’s fine.” Darkness chuckled as he rubbed the boys back. “Maybe he can come down and help when we blow insulation.”
The little boy nodded even though he had no idea what he was agreeing to.